What makes you do the things you do, and purchase the things you purchase: Is it a celebrity endorsement? A recommendation from a friend? An online 5-star review? Who or what has influence over the daily decisions you make. Example: When looking for a new cleaning product, who’s recommendation will you trust more: The big CEO in their swanky office, or mommy-blogger next door to you? Mommy-blogger, right?! She’s relatable, she gets you, she knows what’s best for you. Your purchase decision has just been swayed.

This is why brands reach out to influencers and write press releases. As a marketer, you’re always trying to convince people to buy into what you’re selling (sorry, but that’s the truth). These are just a couple things that might change a person’s opinion on their product.

Social psychology is fascinating in the marketing/advertising world, because it really is built in at every level, even down to the colour of a logo. Hank Green (Vlog Brothers + Crash Course) does an amazing job at explaining even more examples of decisions making and how people are influenced by others in the following video (definitely worth watching):
So after getting a little deeper into the psychology of things, does this make you think twice about the way you think? Will you start reading between the lines when making your next purchase? Or will this information help you sway others? Let me know!

Uplifting and nostalgic all at the same time. Also – what’s the deal with nostalgia? I read a great article [here] about the founder of Buzzfeed and how people are slowly loosing their identities. I believe that people are grasping onto nostalgia as a form of identification.

Just hear me out… the article reveals why websites like Buzzfeed have been so successful. It’s because people can relate to them, plain and simple. You’ve seen their articles like, “20 thing everyone in their 30’s is going through”, and “Reasons why you’re a hipster” (not actually sure if that last one exists…). They basically provide the “norm” of what this group of people are supposed to be interested in or be like. People see this and think “Hey, I’m 30. What are other 30 year olds going through?!” This “identity” or “persona” is being molded by whomever writes that particular article.

Have you noticed how many of their articles touch on nostalgia? Like this awesome example: 17 Times Sailor Moon Totally Got You… This is one of the many ways that Buzzfeed can relate to you, and it’s also one of the many ways that you can relate to other people (I know I’m not the only girl who used to watch Sailor Moon). Whether you like it or not, relating to something likw Sailor Moon throws you into a group of people, whether that’s people with similar interests or of a similar age, this in turn becomes part of the identity of that group of people. Think about it…

Meet the Conversation Prism. Where conversations happen and “social” is brought to life. The internet (or at least what matters) is categorized in this technicoloured pinwheel chart better than I could have ever imagined. Basically, if you think that Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest all fall under the same category, it’s time to take a step back and really learn where these online spaces fit in your business or social life. Go ahead, take a closer look and let me know if you were able to learn something from this!

I’ve talked about the creators project before, and I’m always finding new videos from them that are both inspirational and awe-inspiring. “The Art of the Timelapse” features Michael Shainblum, a photographer/artist that creates amazing timelapse videos. To see his work, I definitely recommend checking out the video above.

In the video there is a part where he mentions his past film, “evolution”, where he contrasts the calmness of nature and the hustle and bustle of the city. I found this to be an interesting comparison, because it’ll actually a topic that comes up a lot without ever delving too deep.

If you live in the city, you probably can’t see the stars, and if so, not many. Whereas, if you live in a rural area, then you definitely can. I grew up on the cusp of a farm/country town in a little subdivision. I could sit in my backyard and clearly see the stars, or I could drive less than 5 minutes north and feel like I was seeing galaxies. Surprisingly however, I don’t miss it. Not one bit. I’m a city girl, and I love everything about it, including the hustle and bustle and including the city lights. I find them beautiful and ever-changing, depending on whats happening in the city, what office lights are on and off, and especially in Toronto, the changing colours of the CN Tower.

So what happens when you have two amazing artists come together? You get something magically mesmerizing. These artist’s styles aren’t all that similar as solo acts, but that whole opposites attracts thing really takes into effect here; they compliment each other incredibly well! Flume’s mixes with Chet’s wonderfully sexy, sultry voice means eargasms all over the place. (And yes. I just said eargasm). With the release of their latest collab, “Drop the Game”, I’ve decided to pay tribute and put together this mini-playlist. Enjoy!

This is a pretty interesting word generator that tells you a word that was added to the Oxford English Dictionary the year you were born!

I was born in 1990, and my word is:

“Emoticon” n.

A representation of a facial expression formed by a short sequence of keyboard characters (usually to be viewed sideways) and used in electronic mail, etc., to convey the sender’s feelings or intended tone.

This makes me feel like I’m 12 years old right now because in my my mind, “emoticons” weren’t a thing until the days of MSN messenger. I also bet “emoji” made it in this year! Other words from the 90s include: auto-complete, blog, wiki, cybercafe, hacktivism… and bling.

“An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. When life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means it’s going to launch you into something great. So just focus and keep aiming.”

I read the above quote one day, and for some reason it stuck with me. I’ve always considered myself a driven person, and I think the idea of moving forward, staying focused and aiming really appealed to me for that reason.

Earlier this year, I got an arrow tattooed onto my forearm. The tattoo is a constant reminder to myself to stay focused on what’s ahead: Bigger and better things. Always. Set goals and achieve them. Always.

I threw this image together, and decided to paste it on my social media sites. Since 2014 is around the corner, I thought it might be a good idea to start thinking about what’s in store for me in the new year. I’m looking forward to seeing where I’m being launched to.

I always liked this little chart and I think it’s pretty helpful too. A lot of these points are pretty obvious to me now, but when I started as a social media marketer/community manager, some of these would have blew my mind.

I think these tips would definitely help entrepreneurs who want to dabble in the social media world, but just aren’t sure where to start. However, I think it’s also a good reminder for the veterans who can sometimes get caught up in “THE BIG BRAND MESSAGE”. Some of these tips really remind you to step back and look at things from a simpler perspective and really get back to the basics of what works. Whether you’re a newb, or a guru, it might be a good idea to read through these. Who knows

Majestic Casual: The one YouTube channel I can say defines my music taste. The one music channel that never disappoints. The one source that has been helping me explore beyond my music limits since I fell onto this musical plain.

Majestic has been around since 2011, but has grown quickly since obtaining over 1 million subscribers, followers and fans. Although Majestic may be a collective of other artists, it really has become it’s own genre with a community of music lovers looking for the next thing they can fall in love with.

“Music discovery has traditionally been dominated by DJ culture, a privileged group of individuals with the power to break records, artists and new scenes, and while that dominance still remains, today’s deeply connected digital world has led to the emergence of ‘bedroom tastemakers’, a growing band of YouTube channels and individuals with the power to influence millions. At the forefront is Majestic Casual, part of the elite league of YouTube music channels with over a million subscribers… And counting.” – Majestic Casual